Method of producing orthodontic band brackets



June 23, 1936. s. RICHARDSON METHOD OF PRODUCING ORTHODONTIC BAND BRACKETS original File@ Aug. i7, 1954 Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Sidney Richardson,

Hollywood, Calif., assignor of one-half to Charles Edward Boyd, Los Angeles, Calif.

Original application August 17,

1934, Serial No.

614,703, 110W Patent No. 1,976,441, dated 0c- `tober 9, 1934.

September 3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to the art of correcting the position of malposed teeth of the dental arch and more particularly to the method of construction and production of the brackets that are attached to the tooth engaging bands and which brackets are constructed and shaped so as to conveniently receive the arch bars, ligatures and Wires that are utilized for imparting the desired stresses and strains to the teeth that are to be rotated or moved to the proper or desired positions with respect to the other teeth of the dental arch.

It will be understood that orthodontic appliances of the character to which my invention relates and particularly the brackets that are applied to the tooth bands, are relatively small in size and that said brackets are subjected to considerable strains and stresses while in service and it is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide a method of producing brackets so that the inherent strength of the metal of which said brackets are formed, is utilized to the maximum degree in resisting the strains and stresses that are impressed upon the brackets while the same are in service.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a method of producing orthodontic tooth band brackets having great strength and rigidity and the metal therein being disposed so as to resist to a maximum degree the tendency of the arch bar to rotate within the slot that is formed in the bracket for the reception of said arch bar.

A further object of my invention is, to provide an improved method of forming orthodontic brackets so that bend to such a degree as to permit the arch bar receiving notch to open or spread apart under tortional stresses imparted to said bracket by the arch bar that passes through the notch therein or as a result of tilting movement of the bracket itself as a result of movement of the tooth that is engaged by the band that carries said bracket.

This application is a division of an application for U. S. Letters Patent on Method of producing orthodontic band brackets filed by me June 1st, 1932, Serial No. 614,703 and allowed August 17, 1934.

With the foregoing and other objects in View my invention consists in certain novel methods of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a metal bar from the same will not yield andI Divided and this application 10, 1934, Serial No. 743,422

which certain forms of my improved bracket are formed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the bar after the same has been provided with a. slot in ac.- cordance with my improved method.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a section of the slotted bar cut to the proper length for the production of an arch bar receiving bracket.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an arch bar receiving bracket constructed in accordance with my improved method.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the bracket.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further modied form of the bracket constructed in accordance with my method.

In the construction of the form of bracket illustrated in' Fig. 4, I employ a block or bar Ill of alloy or platinized metal that is extremely hard and tough, said block or bar being substantially rectangular in cross section and having a at rear face II, parallel side faces I2 and a curved front face I3 that is transversely convex.

By means of a suitable cutting tool a longitudinally disposed slot I 4 is formed in the block or bar I0, said slot being disposed midway between and parallel with the side faces I2 of the bar and said slot extends from the rear face II toward the front face I3.

The slotted bar is now divided into sections of suitable length, one of`which sections is illustrated in Fig. 3 and the upper rear corners of the block or section to the sides of the slot I4 therein, are cut away to form a horizontally disposed notch I5 for the reception of the arch bar that is supported by and connected to the bracket. When this bracket is applied to the tooth band, the rear face of the bracket or those faces below the notch I5 and to the sides of the slot Ill, are soldered or brazed directly to the tooth band and thus a very strong and substantial bracket is provided for the support and attachment of the arch bar.

Where brackets of the type illustrated in Fig. 5 are produced by my improved method, the bar or block I0 is divided into sections that are slightly longer than the sections utilized for producing brackets of the type illustrated in Fig. 4 and after the brackets have been notched for the reception of the arch bar, a narrow horizontally disposed slot such as I6, is formed in the lower portion of the bracket, said notch extending rearwardly from the curved front face of the bracket possible and which notch or slot is for the accommodation of ligatures or the like.

Brackets of the form illustrated in Fig. 7, may be constructed by my improved method and in this form of bracket the horizontally disposed notch i6El that is formed in the lower front portion of the bracket is made of suiicient width to receive an arch bar or the like.

In `the forms or brackets illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the rear ends of the slots or notches I6 and llia terminate a sufiicient distance away from the rear face of the bracket so as to provide a base or body l1 of substantial thickness and which combines with those portions of the bracket immediately above and below the inner ends of the slots or notches I6 and Isa to form a strong and substantial base for the bracket and as a result of this strong and substantial construction, the same will not tend to spread or open as a result of torsional strains between the bracket and the arch bow or ligature that is positioned in the transverse slot or notch I5 or 155e.

inasmuch as my improved method contemplates the cutting cf the brackets from solid blocks of metal, the molecules and iibres of the metal in all parts of the finished bracket retain their original relative positions, thus insuring the greatest possible strength of the metal that is utilized for forming the brackets and likewise the greatest resistivity to strains and stresses that are developed while the brackets are in service.

In all cases the base or rear portions of the brackets and particularly those portions to the rear of the transverse notches that are formed f in the front portions of the brackets, are made of substantial thickness, thereby imparting to the brackets the requisite strength to resist torsional strains that would otherwise tend to spread the jaws of the bracket apart and at the same time the relatively strong heavy base portions oi the brackets serve to reenforce4 the tooth bands to which the brackets are braced or soldered and thereby provide an attachment of increased strength and stability.

The machining or cutting of the bracket from a solid block of metal eliminates the necessity for bending any portion of the bracket during vits production and which bending itlwill be understood necessarily disturbs, stretches, expands and in some instances fractures the metal at the bending points with the result that the finished structure is materially weakened and it fails to produce the expected and desired results when applied for use.

The size of brackets utilized on tooth bands of A orthodontic appliances precludes the ,possibility of their being successfullymanufactured,by dies and I have demonstrated in tests and experiments .iat dies, though very carefully constructed, cannot impart the necessary accuracy to the finished product, particularly in the formation of the notches that receive the arch wires, ligatures and the like.

I have demonstrated in practice that where metai is bent in the production of orthodontic brackets and particularly relatively hard and toughrnetal, there is a tendency of the bent portion of the metal to fracture and the grains or molecules of the metal separate, so that the bent portion becomes porousY and thereby loses its strength and resistivity to service `strains and stresses.

yOrthodontic brackets constructed in accordance with my improved method are exceptionally strong and rigid, serve to reenforce the tooth band to which they are soldered or brazed and as said brackets are formed from solid blocks of metal they are not bent during manufacture, the maximum strength of the metal forming the brackets is utilized to the greatest advantage in resisting tendency of the jaws of the brackets to open as a result of relative torsional strains between the brackets and the arch wires that are applied thereto.

It will `be understood that minor variations in the method of constructing the various parts of my improved orthodontic band bracket may be practiced without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. The herein described method of producing a one-piece orthodontic band bracket, which consists in cutting a longitudinally disposed slot in the rear portion of a block of hard tough metal, which slot extends from the rear face of said block toward the front face thereof, cutting away the upper rear corner of the block of metal so as to form notches to the sides of the slot, cutting a horizontally disposed transverse slot in the lower front portion of the body of the block, which slot intersects the longitudinally disposed slot that is formed in said block, and the cutting of the block to form said slots and notches being effected so as to retain the bers and molecules in the uncut portions of said block in their original positions without distorting and stretching the same.

2. The herein described method of producing a one-piece orthodontic band bracket, which consists in cutting a longitudinally disposed slot in the rear portion of a or elongated block of hard tough metal, which slot extends from the rear face ci' said bar toward the front face thereof, then cutting said ,bar to form a plurality of short sections that are substantially uniform in length, cutting the upper rear corner of each block away to form a pair of transversely disposed notches to the sides of the slot in the upper rear portion of the block, cutting a horizontally disposed transverse slot in the lower front portion of the block, which slotfintersects the longitudinally disposed slot in the rear portion of said block, the cutting of said bar and block in each instance being eifected so as to retain the fibers and molecules in the uncut portion of said bar and block in their original positions without distorting and stretching the same.

3. The herein described method of producing a one piece automatic band bracket, which consists in cutting a longitudinally disposed slot in the rear portion of a bar of hard tough metal, which slot extends from the rear face of said bar toward the front face thereof, then cutting said bar to form a plurality of blocks that are substantially uniform in length, cutting the upper rear corner of each block away to form a pair of transversely disposed notches to the sides of the slot in the rear portion of the block and the cutting of said bar and said blocks to form said slot and notches, being effected so as to retain the bers and molecules in the uncut portions of the metal in their originalpositions without distorting or stretching the sarne.

SIDNEY RICHARDSON.

CERTFCATE OF CGEECTION.

Patent No. 2,045,025. June 25, ieee.

SIDNEY RICHARDSON.

It is hereby eetified that error appears; iii the above numbered patent requiring coreotion as follows In the to the printed specification, lime 7., for' the filing "August i7, 1934" read June l 1952; and line 8, for "Patent No. l 976,441 reed Patent No.. l 976, 141; and that the said Lettes Patent should be read. with 'e eoweetiens therein that the Same may coliform to the record of the Cese the Patent Office Signed and sealed. this 22nd dey of September, A. D. 1956.

ienry Van Ar'sdale Seel) Acting Commissioner of Patente 

